Raul was fine but I think the Tony should have gone to Jonathan Groff however Contact had three great performances that should have won their and did tonys. The boys n Billy can sing and dance so well they deserved it. But I wonder why didn't Michael Stuhlbarg win 2005 featured actor? Anyway with is with Raul loosing to Jm Norton he was stunning in the homecoming.
I’m on a Company binge at the moment and re-watching “Being Alive” with Raul I STILL can’t believe he lost the Tony. Maybe he could have toned down the “mock me with praise” line but the whole journey from the slow tempo, shakey opening of the piano key cover to him standing at the end climax Being Alive is amazingggggg. Neil Patrick Harris, Aaron Tveit and yes even Rosalie Craig don’t come close to this stunning performance.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
I still try to justify how this even happened and no matter what, I find myself thinking that this was an insane choice. I also agree that maybe Raul's "mock me with praise" may have been a bit much, but in the end, he was a marvelous Bobby.
I did know someone who didn't care for him in it and was thrilled when DHP won. His main reasoning was that he felt Esparza was too smarmy and guttural for his personal preferences.....I mean I guess that's an opinion lol
qolbinau said: "I’m on a Company binge at the moment and re-watching “Being Alive” with Raul I STILL can’t believe he lost the Tony.
For the sun will rise And the moon will set And learn how to settle For what you get. It will all go on if we're here or not So who cares? So what? So who cares? So what?
Jordan Catalano said: "This and Tonya Pinkins losing are the two that just made me realize these awards mean absolutely nothing. "
I was pretty shocked but was kind of ok with it because Hyde Pierce turned in a wonderful performance in CURTAINS. Still, it felt like Raul's year. Hyde Pierce even thought so.
As for Pinkins, I will never get over that! I saw WICKED 3 days after CAROLINE OR CHANGE. As we got up from our seats my boyfriend, at the time, turned to me and said "Idina Menzel will win the Tony". I disagreed and told him I saw the Tony winning performance a few days before. I was jaw dropped when Idina won. Still think it was due to a split of some kind between Cheno and Pinkins causing Menzel to win. Loved Menzel but Pinkins was incredible. JMO
Oh my goodness am I the only one who absolutely LOVED his 'mock me with praise'?? I REALLY feel that line so deeply so his visceral scream of it was one of my favorite things he did. Shatters me.
rjm516 said: "Oh my goodness am I the only one who absolutely LOVED his 'mock me with praise'?? I REALLY feel that line so deeply so his visceral scream of it was one of my favorite things he did. Shatters me."
I don't mind the "mock me with praise" line on the cast recording, and indeed it is even weird for me now to hear when someone just sings the line straight without any emphasis here (i.e., everyone else who has played the role ever). But on the video recording he was clearly 'feeling it' and giving it his all. Shocked me a little.....it's as if it is Raul Esparza himself telling the Tony voters to go **** themselves...no idea if it was recorded before or after he lost :P.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
I'm clearly in the minority here. I did not like Raul Esparza's "Bobby" and his rendition of "Being Alive" and the screechy diva-is histrionic delivery of "mock me with praise" smacked of self indulgence.
CarlosAlberto said: "I'm clearly in the minority here. I did not like Raul Esparza's "Bobby"and his rendition of "Being Alive" and thescreechy diva-is histrionic delivery of "mock me with praise" smacked of self indulgence."
You're not entirely alone. I found that whole production of Company to be overly cold and detached. The Bobby that was on that stage was not the Bobby that is sung about in "Side by Side" (there's no way Esparza's Bobby was "taking the kids to the zoo".
I'll admit that I didn't see the other three nominees, but between just those two my vote would have been for David Hyde Pierce.
The following Tuesday, his first performance after the Tony Awards, he gave a performance of a lifetime- like he thought he had something to prove. He certainly proved to everyone in that theatre that night that he is not only a great performer, but also an outstanding actor. The energy was palpable, and the applause after Being Alive went on for several minutes with two standing ovations, followed by a third during curtain call. I did not see Curtains, but David Hyde Pierce must have delivered a truly spectacular performance in order to convince voters that he was the better choice.